Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st October
Jukung (a Balinese fishing boat with stabilisers) gave way to speed boat on Thursday morning to ferry us to Nusa Lembongan. One of 3 small islands 12 km east (right) of Bali that make up Nusa Penida district. I was hankering after some beach time and seeing as I had been to a museum for Tim two nights on a beach island were duly booked. Tim is less keen on beaches, sunbathing or swimming however we are both happy to mix things up a bit and this is a chance to see a less party frenzied beach Bali although still very much on the tourist trail. We are keen to avoid too much tourism however as this has been the major industry in Bali and on Nusa Lemobongan since the 80’s it surely also has to be considered genuine.
Quick paragraph here about why we are writing this blog. It is primarily a record for us for now and for the future. Already days are blurring and I don’t want to lose a second if I can help it. It is not really planned to be of any use to anyone else although if it is easy reading and mildly amusing please feel free to continue. It is not intended to be a guide or widely read which, I get, begs the question – why write this paragraph? I am finding though that without work taking up so many hours a day my mind wants to know about other things and I have the head space to research a little. ‘Asides’ are forming in my head which I hope to write up – just to improve the record. If others enjoy reading then that is great – but please don’t take anything as gospel! Where there is more interesting stuff and I am too lazy to have a view or to type we will include links.
We are travelling as a break in 2 long careers – for both of us spent largely or solely within the same industries. It is chance to refresh and maybe learn different approaches. I am not expecting light bulbs, epiphanies or to return a yoga practicing hippy (honest Dad!) but a little wider appreciation of what is possible would be good. We are travelling on a budget – a fairly generous one of £100 per day and I have an app (TravelSpend) that we record expenses on (another record). We have a slush fund for experiences too good to pass up but I think the discipline of a budget helps – and it does make sure you find interesting places to sleep and eat.
High finance – there are a LOT of 000’s involved with Indonesian Rupees!
Back to this episode – Nusa Lemobongan is small but, with our usual sense of direction, we have increased the surface area by at least a factor of 2. We have walked and scootered there, thereabouts and back on ourselves a number of times. Seaweed farms, white beaches, soft sand and turquoise waters along with a laid back vibe and spectacular sunsets are the lasting impressions.
The seaweed farming is a resurrected local industry as a result of the pandemic. It was big in the 80’s and then tourism took over. Emerging again now as a local industry elders are instructing junior family members. Farms line the strait between the 2 small islands Lembongan and Ceningan. The air is filled with the scent of drying seaweed especially around the Yellow Bridge. The local Lembongan blog explains it far better than me.
This time I had a scooter of my own. Scootering is a little like skiing – apparently speed is your friend and you have to relax into it, including the corners and the pot holes (aka moguls). My family will understand when I say that I scooter as I ski – slowly, with lots of wide turns and continually bring overtaken by young kids and septuagenarians. However I continue to ‘smile’ – my jaw is as tight as daughter Amelia’s purse from tension. Crossing the Yellow Bridge to Nusa Ceningan added to that tension. I was not expecting Golden Gate proportions however the 4 foot wide metal gangplank that faced me was a little disconcerting. Designed surely for single file traffic that message seems to have got lost for both the experienced locals who can easily manage passing each other in a narrow strait (even overtaking) and the very inexperienced tourists many of whom may well have had their eyes shut (yes, like me) as they just went with the flow. Suffice to say photos of the bridge only from a distance. And I was glad Tim only mentioned the “Bridge Broken” sign after we’d used it.
Nusa Lembongan offered the chance for snorkeling for me. The selling point seems to be the chnce to see Manta rays which are local. Unfortunately this means that the captains of the many boats ferrying hapless and mostly sunburnt swimmers get excited when they see a Manta from their vantage point on the boats and geticulate and call loudly so that everyone thrashes off in the same direction. The lucky few who are into the right area may see the Manta but I am sure the cacophany of 40 odd fipper wearing tourists means that they beat a hasty retreat. This does not however detract from the sheer peace of floating in the clear sea over coral with literally hundreds of different fish feeding from the bottom. The video below and my lame description cannot justify it – suffice to say it was like swimming in your old fish tank Dad – when it was at its best before you accidentally killed all the fish!
Play spot the fish – they are there I promise!
Tim usefully spent his morning having his ears candled and trying to recreate the Bali swing for insta – he has more research to do!
We are now en route to Ubud for some laid back vibes.
– Nikki